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the significance of the impending delays in resettlement, they are likely to realise over the new few months what is happening and start complaining.
8. At a cocktail party UNHCR held in honour of Hocke's visit, I had an opportunity to discuss the general problem of Vietnamese refugees in the area with diplomatic colleagues, especially from the major re- settlement countries. While I took every opportunity to speak along standard lines in referring to Hong Kong there was, as is usual, little sympathy for our position. Compared to Thailand, the refugee problem in Hong Kong tends to be seen as relatively small, and our response (in the form of resettlement) unimpressive when contrasted with what other Western countries are taking throughout the region. Our reference to our commitments in Hong Kong when defending our relative inactivity in response to the Thai refugee problem, tends to eventually wear a bit thin, I suspect. But a build-up of Vietnamese refugees here, and the pressure the Thais will exert to relieve the situation, should certainly add to the impetus for any moves towards an inter- nationally sponsored initiative with the Vietnamese government.
CC:
Chancery HANOI
Miss D Walker
UKMIS GENEVA
Mr K Woodhouse
Government Secretariat
HONG KONG
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